Draft Notebook | 8 notes from Nashville ahead of Round 1

NASHVILLE -Kevyn Adams uses color-coded notebooks to keep things in order this time of year, with the NHL offseason about to hit its crescendo over the next four days.

The Sabres hold the 13th selection in the NHL Draft, which opens with the first round inside Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday (7 p.m. ET on ESPN). They have seven picks in Rounds 2 through 7 on Thursday. Qualifying offers for restricted free agents are due Friday, followed by the start of unrestricted free agency Saturday at noon.

"It's busy," Adams said Tuesday. "I've said it before, this is a great time of year."

Here are some notes from Nashville ahead of Round 1.

1. This is Adams' fourth draft as general manager and second in a non-virtual setting, with agents and front office members from around the league all convening in one city. He was asked if the tenor of his conversations has changed from years prior, given the Sabres' success this past season.

"It has, which is really exciting, to be honest with you," he said. "…We have a long way to go in terms of the steps that we need to become an elite team in this league. But I do believe that people are seeing what we have built and thinking that we're on the right path.

"When you talk to agents - I'm trying to work on our own contracts with our own players - and them talking about players that want to be here and believe in what we're doing. It feels like we're heading in the right direction."

2. Adams reiterated the Sabres' interest in re-signing forward Tyson Jost, who is a pending restricted free agent.

"We've talked to [Jost's representatives] for the last number of weeks about how he's someone we'd love to have back and the ball's in his court a little bit now," Adams said.

The Sabres' other pending restricted free agents are forwards Brett Murray, Linus Weissbach and Matej Pekar, and defenseman Kale Clague.

3. Adams said he expects Seth Appert to return as Rochester Americans coach next season. Rochester has made the playoffs in each of Appert's three seasons, including a run to the Eastern Conference Final this spring.

When the NHL does come calling, Adams said Appert will have the Sabres' support.

"He and I have a very, very close relationship and I've told him from day one, when and if there's the right opportunity, I want to help him in every possible way," Adams said. "I believe 100 percent that Seth Appert will be an NHL coach someday. It's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when, in my opinion. But for right now, where he's at, I think he feels he's in a good spot."

4. The Sabres are at work finding candidates to fill out Appert's coaching staff following the departures of assistants Mike Weber and Michael Peca, both of whom took jobs as assistants in the NHL. The team interviewed one candidate in Nashville this week and hires could be made in the coming weeks, Adams said.

5. Adams was asked about forward Victor Olofsson, who is coming off a 28-goal campaign but was scratched for stretches late in the season. He said he had honest, productive dialogue with Olofsson, his agent, and Sabres coach Don Granato after the season.

"We're open to kind of looking at everything and that's what I told him, I promised him I would do and see what's out there," Adams said. "But I also think that we really like Victor Olofsson and if we get back and we're starting in training camp, we need to make sure that we're putting him in a position to succeed."

6.The NHL Awards show was held in Nashville on Monday. Owen Power finished third in Calder Trophy voting, behind Seattle forward Matty Beniers and Edmonton goalie Stuart Skinner.

"The players around him are obviously great players and well deserving," Adams said. "But in terms of what his impact is on the game and the role he plays and the way he plays, he's my rookie (of the year)."

7.Count Cale Makar among those impressed with Power's introduction to the NHL. Makar averaged 21:01 of ice time during his Calder Trophy-winning season in 2019-20 - more than two full minutes less than Power, who was a year younger coming out of college.

"It's impressive," Makar, who averaged a league-high 26:23 this season, said. "When you're averaging that many minutes a night, you have to be taking care of your body. I think even myself this year, playing so much in the beginning of the season and then you saw the injuries that kind of hit me later on.

"Obviously he did a very good job of making sure that he's prepared every single night. He plays very high-quality minutes, too. I's not like he's just out there for 23 minutes a night. He's a fun player to watch and I'm excited to see how he develops over the next bit."

8.Nine of the prospects expected to be picked during the first round met with the media in Nashville on Tuesday. That group included forward Nate Danielson, Video: 2023 NHL Draft Preview Show: Options at 13th overall

Danielson - a 6-foot-2, two-way centerman - said Sabres forward Dylan Cozens is one of the players he models his game after. Danielson first watched Cozens during his junior career with the Lethbridge Hurricanes and has followed his progression in the NHL.

"He just has a very steady game," Danielson said. "He plays well in all areas of the rink and that's something I try to model too."